This document claims priority and contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-321576 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Oct. 20, 2000, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-284191 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Sep. 18, 2001, and the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus including the sheet feeding device.
2. Discussion of the Background
A sheet feeding device has been used in an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, etc. or a multi-functional image forming apparatus including at least two functions of printing, copying, and faxing. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding tray and a sheet feeding member. When the sheet feeding device is in use, the sheet feeding tray is rotated to an open position, and a sheet set on the sheet feeding tray is fed into a main body case of the image forming apparatus by the sheet feeding member through a sheet feeding inlet provided at the main body case. When the sheet feeding device is not in use, the sheet feeding tray is placed at a closed position where the sheet feeding tray is retracted. Because the sheet feeding tray is not protruding from the main body case when the sheet feeding device is not in use, the sheet feeding tray is prevented from interfering with surrounding items.
When a sheet is fed from the sheet feeding tray which is rotated to the open position, the position of the sheet feeding tray relative to the sheet feeding member may not be accurate. As a result of such an inaccuracy, the sheet can not be fed properly into the main body case.
In a background sheet feeding device described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-150995, in order to place a sheet feeding tray at an open position with accuracy, the sheet feeding tray is rotatably supported by a supporting member fixed to a main body case. A stopper is provided at the sheet feeding tray to abut an engagement part of the supporting member.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet feeding device for an image forming apparatus including a main body case includes a sheet feeding tray on which a sheet is set. The sheet feeding tray is rotatably supported by the main body case so as to be placed at a closed position when a sheet feeding inlet is closed. It is through the sheet feeding inlet from which sheets on the sheet feeding tray are fed into the main body case. Further, the sheet feeding tray is placed at an open position when the sheet feeding inlet is open. A sheet feeding member is configured to feed the sheet on the sheet feeding tray into the main body case. An arm is fixed to the sheet feeding tray. The arm includes a base end part and a tip end part. The base end part of the arm is fixed to the sheet feeding tray at a predetermined distance apart from a rotation center part of the sheet feeding tray toward a free end side of the sheet feeding tray. The tip end part is housed in the main body case. The tip end part of the arm includes an arm engagement part configured to be engaged with an engagement part for the open position provided to the main body case so that the sheet feeding tray is placed at the open position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a sheet feeding device for an image forming apparatus including a main body case. The method includes: rotating a sheet feeding tray to an open position when a sheet feeding inlet through which a sheet is fed into the main body case is opened; placing the sheet feeding tray at the open position by engaging an arm engagement part of a tip end part of an arm fixed to the sheet feeding tray and an engagement part for the open position provided to the main body case; setting a sheet on the sheet feeding tray; feeding the sheet on the sheet feeding tray into the main body case; rotating the sheet feeding tray to a closed position where the sheet feeding inlet is closed by the sheet feeding tray; and placing the sheet feeding tray at the closed position by engaging the arm engagement part and an engagement part for the closed position provided to the main body case.